Vintage Pokémon cards from 1999 to 2007 are among the most chased cards in the hobby right now, led by the Gold Star cards of the EX era and the Shining Pokémon of Neo Destiny. Gold Stars, officially printed as Pokémon ★, show shiny Pokémon breaking out of the art frame, and the commonly cited pull rate is about one per two booster boxes.
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This list also covers early Pokémon-ex holos, a Skyridge holo and two of the most famous Charizard cards from the Wizards of the Coast years. Several Gold Stars sold for six figures in gem mint condition during 2026, and even raw copies of most cards here now trade for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
20. Vaporeon Star 102/108
Vaporeon placed 15th of 151 Kanto Pokémon in the official Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 14,887 fan votes. Japanese fans first earned it as a Players Club reward for 10,000 points, and English collectors pulled it from EX Power Keepers (2007), the last English expansion with Gold Stars.
19. Gengar ex 108/112
Gengar finished 10th overall out of 890 Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, second only to Charizard among Kanto Pokémon. This Mitsuhiro Arita holo from EX FireRed & LeafGreen (2004) is the second most valuable card in its set after Charizard ex, according to TCG Stacked’s price guide.
18. Alakazam Star 99/100
Alakazam Star sits at No. 32 on TCGTalk’s 2026 list of the 100 most valuable Pokémon cards, ahead of the Mew, Groudon and Jolteon Gold Stars. It is one of only two Gold Stars in EX Crystal Guardians (2006), and its Japanese original comes from the Miracle Crystal set.
17. Houndoom H11/H32
Houndoom ranked 20th of 100 Johto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 14,742 fan votes. This holo from Skyridge (2003), the final Wizards of the Coast expansion, sits near the top of Pokémon Price Tracker’s Skyridge price guide for raw copies.
16. Jolteon Star 101/108
Jolteon ranked 26th among Kanto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, yet its Gold Star has the highest gem mint value of the three Power Keepers Eeveelutions in Bill’s Archive’s July 2026 price table. It was a 20,000-point Players Club reward in Japan, and a silver-bordered World Championships replica also exists, so check the border before buying.
15. Latias Star 105/107
Latias ranked 15th among Hoenn Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 17,478 fan votes. It belongs to the very first Gold Star trio, debuting in Japan’s Clash of the Blue Sky (2004) before reaching English players in EX Deoxys (2005).
14. Shining Celebi 106/105
Celebi ranked 13th of 100 Johto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 20,492 fan votes. Hironobu Yoshida illustrated this Neo Destiny (2002) secret rare, the fourth most valuable Shining in the set on TCG Stacked’s price guide behind Charizard, Mewtwo and Tyranitar.
13. Groundon Star 111/113
Groudon ranked 22nd among Hoenn Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, and its Gold Star places No. 48 on TCGTalk’s 2026 list of the 100 most valuable Pokémon cards. It arrived in EX Delta Species (2005) alongside Kyogre Star and Metagross Star, and like every Gold Star it was illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda.
12. Mudkip Star 107/109
Mudkip placed 6th among Hoenn Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, earning more votes than Torchic and Treecko combined. Its Gold Star ranks No. 11 on TCGTalk’s 2026 list of the 100 most valuable Pokémon cards and belongs to the trio that launched English Gold Stars in EX Team Rocket Returns (2004).
11. Lugia ex 105/115
Lugia finished 15th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote and 3rd among Johto Pokémon, behind only Umbreon and Tyranitar. Hikaru Koike illustrated this EX Unseen Forces (2005) holo, whose Elemental Blast attack uses Fire, Water and Lightning Energy to deal 200 damage.
10. Rocket’s Snorlax ex 104/109
Snorlax ranked 11th of 151 Kanto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 19,768 fan votes. Mitsuhiro Arita illustrated this EX Team Rocket Returns (2004) holo, and only about 7% of PSA-graded copies have earned a Gem Mint 10, according to Card Codex’s population data.
9. Charizard 146/144 & Charizard 4/102
Charizard won the Kanto category and finished 4th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 93,968 fan votes. Charizard 146/144 is the Crystal Charizard secret rare from Skyridge (2003), one of the most famous chase cards of the e-Card era. Charizard 4/102 is the Base Set (1999) holo that turned Charizard into the hobby’s icon, printed in 1st Edition, Shadowless and Unlimited versions. Crystal Charizard PSA 10 copies sold repeatedly at Goldin and Fanatics Collect in 2026, while 1st Edition Base Set copies remain among the most valuable Pokémon cards ever printed.
8. Mew Star (Delta Species) 101/101
Mew placed 7th among Kanto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 36,266 fan votes. It is the final card in EX Dragon Frontiers (2006) and one of only three Gold Stars that are also Delta Species, which makes this Mew a Water type instead of Psychic.
7. Treecko Star 109/109
Treecko Star ranks No. 17 on TCGTalk’s 2026 list of the 100 most valuable Pokémon cards, while its final evolution Sceptile placed 28th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote. As the last card in EX Team Rocket Returns (2004), it is one of the first three Gold Stars ever released in English.
6. Torchic Star 108/109
Torchic placed 20th among Hoenn Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, but its Gold Star is a true grail, with a CGC 10 copy selling for six figures in February 2026. Only about 19 PSA 10 copies of this EX Team Rocket Returns (2004) card were reported in mid-2026, according to Bill’s Archive, one of the scarcest Gem Mint populations among English Gold Stars.
5. Shining Tyranitar 113/105
Tyranitar finished 12th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote and 2nd among Johto Pokémon, behind only Umbreon. Ken Sugimori, the original Pokémon designer, illustrated this Neo Destiny (2002) secret rare, the highest-numbered card in the set at 113/105.
4. Mewtwo Star 103/110 & Shining Mewtwo 109/105
Mewtwo placed 8th among Kanto Pokémon in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 34,585 fan votes. Masakazu Fukuda drew Mewtwo Star, while Hironobu Yoshida illustrated Shining Mewtwo. Mewtwo Star comes from EX Holon Phantoms (2006), while Shining Mewtwo is a Neo Destiny (2002) secret rare. Mewtwo Star has the third-highest PSA 10 value among English Gold Stars in Bill’s Archive’s July 2026 table, and Shining Mewtwo is the second most valuable Shining in Neo Destiny on TCG Stacked’s price guide.
3. Umbreon Star 017/017
Umbreon won the Johto category and finished 5th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 67,062 fan votes. English collectors got it through POP Series 5 (2007) organized play packs, and its Japanese Players Club twin holds the record for the most expensive documented Gold Star sale.
2. Pikachu Star 104/110
Pikachu placed 19th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, yet as the franchise mascot its Gold Star has the highest PSA 10 value of any English Gold Star, according to Bill’s Archive. This EX Holon Phantoms (2006) card was a Japan-only Gift Box promo in 2005, and PSA 10 copies sold for six figures more than once in 2026.
1. Rayquaza Star 107/107
Rayquaza won the Hoenn category and finished 8th overall in the Pokémon of the Year 2020 vote, with 60,939 fan votes. Its shiny black Gold Star from EX Deoxys (2005) has the highest raw value of any English Gold Star in Bill’s Archive’s July 2026 table, and even a PSA 8 copy sold for five figures in 2026.
Gold Stars are among the most counterfeited cards in the hobby, so stick to graded copies or sellers who show clear photos of the gold star, holo pattern and card back. Watch out for World Championships deck replicas of Latias Star, Jolteon Star, Mew Star and Lugia ex, which have different card backs, plus the 2021 Celebrations reprint of Umbreon Star. Check recent sold listings rather than asking prices, because values on these cards can differ a lot between price trackers. EX-era holofoil also scratches easily, so ask for photos under direct light before buying any raw copy.
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